Rice harvest is in full swing, but traders are slow to buy.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoi (residing in Co To commune, An Giang province) said that many areas of winter-spring rice in the locality have reached harvest time, but traders are still slow to come and place deposits.

Traders purchase ST25 rice during the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop in Chau Thanh commune, An Giang province - Photo: BUU DAU

"When we called the traders, they said to wait a few more days because the price wasn't stable yet, but two or three days have passed and we still haven't heard back," Mr. Ngoi said, adding that many traders explained that the rice warehouses of export businesses haven't yet set a specific price, so they can't buy it. Currently, traders are offering to buy rice at around 5,700 VND/kg, but the purchasing process is still a few days slower than in previous years.

Mr. Dinh Minh Tam (Director of Co May Co., Ltd., Dong Thap) informed that the company's main raw material sources are in Ca Mau and An Giang. To date, these areas have been harvested, and the company has purchased approximately 80% of the storage capacity of its warehouse system.

The remaining supply is expected to continue arriving in March, and by mid or late April, the warehouse system will be full. According to Mr. Tam, the recent market disruptions mainly stem from temporary interruptions in the supply of gasoline and diesel fuel in some rural areas. This has caused difficulties for many vehicles involved in purchasing and transporting rice.

According to Mr. Tran Thanh Hiep (Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang province), the entire province has harvested more than 45,000 hectares of winter-spring rice and is expected to complete the harvest in April, with an estimated yield of 7.61 tons/ha, and a total production of about 3.8 million tons.

To support rice consumption, the agricultural sector, in coordination with the industry and trade sector, organized a conference on linking and promoting rice consumption, with the participation of 20 businesses and 40 exemplary cooperatives. "In addition, localities need to review the entire rice procurement ecosystem in their areas."

"In case of difficulties or a lack of outlets, localities can report to the Department of Industry and Trade and the Department of Agriculture and Environment for support in connecting with businesses. The above contents have been clearly stated in the guidance document sent to localities to strengthen coordination and ensure stable outlets for farmers' rice in the winter-spring crop," Mr. Hiep said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Do Ha Nam (Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association) believes that in the context of falling rice prices and difficult consumption, implementing temporary stockpiling is necessary to support farmers and stabilize the market.

According to Mr. Nam, authorities are currently checking the implementation of regulations in Decree 107/2018/ND-CP, which requires businesses with rice export licenses to maintain a minimum circulating reserve equivalent to 20% of the annual rice export volume. However, the biggest obstacle currently is the cost of capital.

Bank loan interest rates of around 8-10% per year deter many businesses from participating in procurement and stockpiling. "If there were preferential credit policies with interest rates of around 4-5% per year, businesses would be more confident in purchasing," Mr. Nam suggested.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lua-thu-hoach-ro-thuong-lai-cham-mua-20260313092740001.htm